the management of public offices, whether military or civil, (for he was a' man not only of a pious and liberal education, but of an estate and capacity fit to serve the publick,) he did nothing but what carried an air of justice and equity in it, and a general good will towards all; insomuch, that though he did most heartily embrace the Reformed Religion, yet he would persecute no sect upon the score of religion, not even the Papists, and that in Ireland too, where they had, through their cruelty and perfidy, made such horrible havock of the Protestants. This and other things of this nature, certainly shew us that we ought to impute this, gift of his curing diseases, not to the simple, but regene rate nature, since we find so many, and manifest steps and marks of the regenerate inan in him; nor could I ever dis cover any thing in him that was contemptuous or immoral towards the spiritual, or secular magistrate, and truly he

seems to me such an exemplar of candid and sincere Christianity, without. any pride, deceit, sourness or supersti tion; to which let me add his working such wonderful at least, if not properly called miracles, as the Church of Rome in no age, could ever produce for their religion. For what Gretrakes did, was done in the face of the world, seen and attested by Physicians, Philosophers, and Divines of the most penetrating and accurate judgment. But what ridiculous shams and cheats the miracles of the Roman Church are, is too well known to the world to spend any time on them here."

The most remarkable thing about Gretrakes is, that he should have per-. formed these cures without becoming a religious enthusiast. Many men have pretended to call spirits from the vasty. leep,' without believing themselves conjurors, .. but none of these pretenders would have doubted the reality of their

own magical powers, if the spirits had "come when they did call for them." There was a time when our saints dealt largely in prophecy, .. but there is a "valuable story upon record, of one whose prediction happened to be accomplished, and the effect which it produced upon him was immediately to make him mad. This striking fact is thus related by the faithful historian of the Quakers, William' Sewel.

"Thomas Ibbitt of Huntingtonshire, came to London a few days before the burning of that city, and, (as hath been related by the eye-witnesses) did upon his coming thither, alight from his horse, and unbutton his clothes in so loose a manner, as if they had been put on in haste just out of bed.

"In this manner he went about the "city on the sixth, being the day he came thither, and also on the seventh day of the week, pronouncing a judgment by fire, which should lay waste the city.

On the evening of these days, some of his friends had meetings with him, to enquire concerning his message and call, to pronounce that impending judgment: In his account whereof be was not more particular and clear, than, that he said he for some time had the vision thereof, but had delayed to come and declare it as commanded until he felt (as he ex prest it) the fire in his own bosom: which message or vision was very suddenly proved to be sadly true.

"The Fire began on the 2d of September, 1666, on the first day of the week, "which did immediately follow those two days the said Thomas Ibbitt had gone about the city declaring that judgment.

Having gone up and down the city, as hath been said, when afterwards he saw the fire break out, and beheld the fulfilling of his prediction, a spiritual pride seized on him, which, if others had not been wiser than he, might have tended to his utter destruction.

For

the fire being come as far as the Fast end of Cheapside, he placed himself before the flame, and spread his arms forth, as if to stay the progress of it and if one Thomas Matthews, with others had not pulled him, (who seemed now altogether distracted) from thence, it was like he might have perished by the fire. Yet in process of time, as I have been told, he came to some recovery and confessed this erro; an evi dent proof of human weakness, and a notorious instance of our frailty, when we assume to ourselves the doing of any thing to which Heaven alone can enable us."

212. Henry More's Song of the Soul. * Henry More whose philosophical works contain the most extraordinary instances of credulity, is not less curious as a poet than a philosopher. He pub. lished a volume of Philosophical Poems, the greater part of which is filled by the